Can opener



. R. H. WALLER AND G. JACKSON..

CAN. OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 19.2 1

Patented Aug. 8, 1922.

INVENTORS,

WITNESSES ATTORNEY UNETEE STATES PATENT @FFHQE.

ROBERT H. WALKER AND GRANBERY JACKSON, 0]? NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNORS T0 QUICKSAFE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, CORPORATION OF TENNESSEE.

CAN OPENER.

Application filed July 19, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT H. WALLER and GRANBERY JACKSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have lnvented new and useful Improvements in Can Openers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to can openers, and is designed as an improvement on the construction shown and described in the allowed application filed by Robert H. Waller, Serial No. 389,391.

The object is to simplify the construction of the device to enable the manufacture thereof at a minimum cost, a number of the parts thereof being eliminated, and to provide a can opener which may be used for opening cans, round in cross section and of any of the commercial sizes or diameters, as well as for opening oval or elliptical cans such as are used for packing certain commodities, or square. cans having rounded corners.

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, it being understood that while the drawing shows a practical form of the invention, the latter is not to be confined to strict conformity therewith, but may be changed or modified, so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention, as specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved can opener, shown applied to the edge of a table in position for use, and in the act of opening a can, the latter being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the clamping and severing means of the device, the can being omitted.

Figure 4 is a vertical, transverse section, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

In the construction of the device shown and described in the aforementioned appli- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1922..

Serial No. 485,794.

cation, wherein the can is supported on the table or other support at all times during its revolving motion while being severed by the cutting means, it was necessary to have vertically adjustable means for elevating the said cutting means with relation to the surface of the table, in order to adapt the opener to cans of different heights. Such means necessarily included certain parts found to be more or less expensive to manufacture and prohibited the sale of the device at a low price.

In the present construction, the simplest form of holding or clamping means for attaching the o ener to the table has been employed, whic is such as to suspend the mechanism free from the table, with the can clamping and cutting means arranged at the lower side of the supporting means therefor, so that any size or shape of can may be readily applied thereto and held by one hand of the operator, to be freely revolved and cut open by the mechanism. while the latter is being actuated by the other hand of the operator.

To this end the invention consists in a metallic bracket 1 preferably formed of castiron or other suitable metal, and having marginal strengthening ribs or beads whereever necessary, as is common in such castings. The bracket 1 comprises a vertically disposed arm 2 adapted to abut against the ed e of the table A, and having at its lower end an inwardly directed terminal 3, ext-ending beneath the table A and having a suitably threaded aperture 4 for the reception of a thumb-screw 5, provided at its upper end with a swivelled disc or head 6, of a, well known construction, to enable the screw to be turned sufficiently, after the disc contacts with the under side of the table, to avoid damaging the surface of the table.

At the upper end, the vertical portion 2 of the bracket 1 is provided with another extension 7, adapted to project over the upper surface of the table, and provided with laterally extending feet 8, in spaced relation to each other, and bearing upon the table in opposition to the action of the screw 5, to tightly hold the bracket to the table in a well known manner.

The bracket further comprises an outwardly projecting body portion in the form of a horizontally disposed arm 9, whose top face is in a plane with the top face of the extension 7 and is somewhat wider than the latter, the arm 9 having the bifurcation 10,

extending throughout the major portion of its length, and terminating, at the outer end, in a pair of spaced, outwardly-projecting ears 11, having suitable apertures for a purpose to be explained.

Adjacent to the inner end of the bifurcation 10, the arm 9 is provided with avertically disposed bore or passageway 12, in which is revolably mounted a shaft 13, the latter extending somewhat above and below the upper and lower faces of the arm 9, and preferablyhaving its upper terminal square in cross section, as indicated in Figure 2 of the drawing.

A gear wheel 14, having an integral collar 15 arranged on its lower side, is placed on the upper end of the shaft 13, with the said collar bearing upon the upper surface of the arm 9, and a pin 16 is passed through suitable alined apertures formed in the said collar and shaft to securely hold the gear thereon and cause its rotation, when the shaft is rotated for the purpose.

The squared upper terminal of the shaft is designed to receive the eye 17' of a crank 18, having a suitable handle or knob 19, formed in the usual manner. The eye 17 is provided with an appropriate rectangular opening for the reception of the upper end of the shaft, and is suitably countersunk to receive a washer 20, held therein by a screw 21, entering the upper end of the shaft to hold the crank upon the latter.

The lower end of the shaft 13 carries a combined feed wheel and cutter, formed integrally, and designed to coact with other means to rotate and to sever the head of the can B in the following manner.

The cutter 22 is in the form of a disc formed of proper metal and having its lower side bevelled to provide a peripheral cutting edge and upon its upper face there is provided an integrally formed feed wheel 23 of somewhat less'diameter than the cutting disc, the said wheel having its periphery milled, as shown, or-otherwise knurled or roughened, the cutter and the wheel being concentric, and the latter having on its upper face, an integral collar 24 adapted to bear against the lower face of the arm 9 and, in con unction with the upper collar 15, prevent any vertical movement of the shaft, while the same is being caused to rotate through the medium of the crank 18.

The collar 24 of the cutter is provided with diametrically opposite grooves or notches 25 formed on opposite sides of the passa eway therethrough for the shaft 13, and a apted to receive the end portions of a pin 26, pass ing through a suitable aperture in the said shaft, for the purpose of causing a positive rotation of the cutter when the shaft is rotated. At the lower end, the shaft 13 is provided with a suitably longitudinal threaded bore for the reception of a screw 27 which holds in place a washer 28 of a diameter somewhat greater than the diameter of the shaft, so that the cutter and feed wheel are held from dropping from the lower end of the shaft. In the event the cutting disc should become broken and require replacement or sharpening, it is only necessary to remove the screw 27, when the washer 28, together with the cutter 22 and feed wheel 23, may be slid from the end of the shaft, the pin 26 being freely disengaged from the opposed slots 25 to permit of such removal.

A sliding bearing block 29, formed of a rectangular metal casting and havin its faces suitablymachined is located within the bifurcation 10 of the arm 9, and has-its upper and lower ends extending above and below the upper and lower surfaces of the said arm, and provided with outwardly extending flanges 30 formed integrally therewith and extending lon itudinally of the arm 9 and bearing upon ti faces thereof to prevent removal of the same.

The block 29 is provided with a central,

vertical bore or passageway 31 for the reception of a shaft 32, which extends somewhat above and below the block 29 and is free to rotate therein, the said shaft carrying at its upper end, the gear wheel 33 e upper and lower which is provided with an integral collar 34 on its under side which bears upon the upper surface of the slidable bearing block 29, the wheel 33 and the collar 34 being pinned to the shaft, as at 35, to cause the said shaft to rotate when the gear 33 is thrown into mesh with the gear wheel 14.

At its lower end, the shaft 32 carries a milled or roughened feed wheel 36, held thereon by the pin 37, the said wheel being of a diameter equal to the diameter of the aforesaid feed wheel 23 and spaced therefrom when the gear wheels are in mesh, the lower face of the wheel 36 being located slightly above the upper face of the cutter wheel 22 and slightly overlapping the cutting edge thereof, as clearly shown in Figure 3 0 the drawing. q

At th inner end of the bifurcation 10, there is provided a socket 38in the end wall of the arm 9, and the opposing face of the slidable block 29 is similar equipped with a socket 39, the two sockets being adapted to receive the ends of a coiled expansion spring 40 to normally force the said block outwardly toward the outer end of the arm 9 to free thegears from engagement with each other and to permit the severed head of the can to be removed from between the feed wheels 23- and 36, in a manner to be explained.

A cam lever 41 is mounted between the aforesaid cars 11 and is pivoted therein by a pin 42 in a position to freely rotate between the arms of the bifurcation 10 and to permit its nose end 43 to bear against 'the adjacent side of the sliding block, so

that when the handle end 44 is forced downwardly, the said block will be forced inwardly, and the gear 33 caused to mesh with the gear 14, whereupon the feed wheels 23 and 36 respectively are caused to rotate in opposite directions to turn the can A automatically.

When the handle 44 of the cam leveris elevated, the rectangular formation of the active or nose end thereof, through the pressure of the spring 40, will cause said lever to remain in such position, and the feed wheel 26 is sufficiently separated from the cutting edge of the disc 22 to permit the introduction of the flange or bead C of the can B between the two feed rolls or wheels with the cutting edge bearing against the outside of th can and immediately beneath said bead C. By supporting the can with one hand and actuating the lever 44 downwardly, the cam will force the block 29 inwardly, when the feed wheel 36 located within the upstanding bead C will force the can 13 against th cutting edge of the disc 22 which will penetrate the side of the latter just below the inner face of the head D thereof, and the outer peripheral face of the bead C is impinged by the other feed wheel 23 and the latter, in conjunction with th wheel 36 and by reason of their milled or roughened peripheries, will cause the can to automatically rotate, when the crank is manipulated, and the entire head D and bead C will be completely severed from the body of the can B, while the latter is supported by one hand of the operator.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a simple, cheaply manufactured and easily operated can opener has been provided which may be quickly applied to any de sired support of the proper kind, and that, by reason of the relatively small diameters of the feed wheels and the cutting disc, the device may be used to open cans of various shapes, such as oval, round or rectangular cans having suitably rounded corners.

e do not wish to be limited to the particular form of bracket or support for the cutting and operating mechanism, as this may be varied to suit the special conditions of use.

What is claimed is 1. In a can opener, the combination with a support having an outstanding arm, a vertical shaft mounted in said arm, a feed roller and cutter mounted at the lower end of the shaft, a gear at the upper end of the shaft, an operating handle also at the upper end of the shaft and operating in a horizontal plane above the arm, a movable bearing block mounted in said arm, a second shaft mounted in the bearing block, a second feed roller mounted on the lower end of said second shaft, a gear mounted at the upper end of the second shaft and engaging with the gear of thefirst shaft, a spring acting 4 against the bearing block to move the same outwardly, and a cam lever mounted in the outer end of the arm and bearing against the bearing block in opposition tothe tension of said spring.

2. A can opener comprising a bracket adapted to be clamped to the edge of a table or other support, said bracket having an outstanding, horizontal arm extending away from the table and bifurcated to provide a longitudinal slot, a vertical shaft mounted for rotation in the arm adjacent to the inner end of the bifurcation, said shaft carrying at its upper end, above the arm, a gear wheel and a horizontally swinging crank, and a cutting disk at its'lower endprovided with a feed roller having a milled periphery, a horizontally sliding bearing block mounted in the bifurcation of the arm and carrying a vertical, rotatable shaft provided with a gear which at its upper end is adapted to be engaged or disengaged with the first gear, and a milled feed and clamping roll at its lower end to coact with the first roller to clamp and rotate the bead or flange of a tin can, a cam lever mounted at the open end of the bifurcation to force the sliding block inwardly to mesh the gears and force the cutter through the can, and a spring interposed behind the block to return the same when the cam is released.

In testimony, that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto aflixed our signatures.

ROBERT H. WALLER. GRANBERY JACKSON. 

